US biggest importer of Iraq oil ( 1315 hrs)
Even as the Bush administration masses troops in the Persian Gulf in preparation for a war to topple Saddam Hussein, US refineries are the biggest buyers of Iraqi oil, according to a report on the website of Bloomberg.
Shipments of Iraqi crude to the US more than tripled from September to January, according to data released by the Commerce Department, the report said. Iraq supplied 17.1 million barrels in January - 6.4% of total US oil imports, the report added.
The jump in imports came as an illegal surcharge that benefited the Iraqi government was dropped and refiners sought alternatives for crude from Venezuela where a strike crippled oil production, the report said.